…affirms Namadi as APC’s governorship candidate in Jigawa

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

The Supreme Court, on Friday, nullified the primary election the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, conducted to chose its candidate for the forthcoming senatorial election in Imo West.

The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-man panel of Justices, voided the candidacy of Hon. Jones Onyerere, who emerged from the said primary election.

In its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court, held that the PDP acted in breach of the electoral law, when it conducted the primary poll in Owerri, the capital of Imo state, rather than in Orlu, being the Senatorial Headquarters of Imo West.

It held that the PDP, by conducting the primary election outside the venue clearly stipulated by the law, violated Section 87 (9) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The apex court held that by the judgment, PDP, will not participate in the impending Senatorial election, having failed to produce its candidate within the time allowed by law.

It held that since the time for political parties to conduct primary elections to nominate candidates for the election has elapsed, it is demeed that the PDP would not have a candidate for the National Assembly election billed to hold in Imo West on February 25.

It warned political parties to always conduct their affairs within the ambit of the law, stressing that section 87 (9) of the Electoral Act was clear on where primary elections should be conducted.

The judgement followed an appeal that was filed by an aggrieved aspirant of the party, Hon. Nnamdi Ezeani.

Meanwhile, in another judgement, the Supreme Court, on Friday, affirmed Umar Namadi as the authentic governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Jigawa State.

Namadi is currently the Deputy Governor of the state.

The apex court, in its lead judgement that was prepared by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun but delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, upheld the gubernatorial primary election the APC conducted in the state on May 26, 2022, which was won by Namadi.

It dismissed an appeal the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Farouk Aliyu, filed to challenge the nomination of Namadi as the governorship flag-bearer of the party.

In a unanimous decision, a five-member panel of the Justices of the apex court held that Aliyu’s case was frivolous, baseless and lacked both merit and substance.

It upheld the concurrent judgements of the Federal High Court in Dutse and the Court of Appeal in Kano, which also affirmed Namadi’s candidacy.